Community programs for chronic patients: towards a conceptual framework

Community services for persons suffering from major psychological disorders have often been developed without prior consideration of the results of studies measuring the effectiveness of such programs or of the problems presented by this population once they leave hospital. In this article we attempt to develop a conceptual framework useful for planning and evaluating community programs. To do so, we examine the role and objectives of these programs, the characteristics of the clientele, and the importance of appropriate research in the planning and implementation of effective community services for chronic psychiatric patients.